The Return Home
by MrDoyle
Summary: Ellie and Joel travel to Texas to visit Travis County. Will it be too much for Joel to visit his hometown again or will he finally find closure? (Joel/Sarah Memories) (Joel/Ellie Comfort) (Sarah Paranormal Appearance)
1. The Return

**(The Return Home) "Joel's Closure"**  
**Last of us Fanfiction**

By Kyle Doyle.  


**Chapter 1**

As Joel and Ellie walked down the street passing numerous dilapidated timber framed houses they're walls weathered by years of blistering texas heat,

"What does it feel like to be back in the ol' lone star state?" Ellie asked warily knowing what Joel had been through here 20 years before.

"It's a lot different than before but it's still as I remember it" Joel said quietly.

They had passed the "Welcome to Travis County" sign some miles back and Memories began to flood back to Joel of times before the infection, as they where passing the place where Joel's job was stationed they where half constructed overgrown timber house frames.

"Hey kiddo I worked on that house before all hell broke loose" He said with a slight break in his voice,

"What!? What was it like?" Ellie replied excitedly,

"It was hard work baby girl but it payed the damn bills, The good times I had when I was workin' there though" Joel said looking up at the timber shell which mother nature was now taking back,

"Bills sound like a pain in the ass and I ain't talkin' about the one in Lincoln" Ellie laughed. Joel couldn't help but crack a smile at that.

Around 20 minutes later they passed the Travis County Elementry and High School, most of the windows had been smashed and the brick work was well aged with moss and greenery taking over it. Numerous teenage and child size skeletons lay upon the sidewalk and steps outside the school they're torn and frayed uniforms where lightly fluttering in the spring breeze. The eye catching school emblem was the only thing that eligible on the breast of the blazer, A white star with an American Bald Eagle rising above it.

"This is the school Sarah went to kiddo" Joel said mournfully, Remembering the times Sarah would run down the steps and greet him at the car,

"The military school in the zone shits on this place! There where bars on the windows outside every room there, Bet it was a fucksight better here though" She said angrily remembering what happened to Herself and Riley after escaping the school,

"You could say that baby girl, There wasn't teachers ya had to salute and follow around like a trail o' ducks. all ya had to do was call em' sir or miss" he said,

"Much easier for everyone back then" she murmured.

"Yeah" Joel said under his breath with a tone of sadness in his voice.

After another 10 minutes of walking they where now entering the suburbs of Travis County to a place that Joel remembered like it was yesterday. He couldn't believe it he was stood at the end of his old street. Memories of people milling about in the houses around him where begining to flood back with sadness slowly following, He walked in a daze along the sidewalk with Ellie at his side fiddling with her switchblade mumbling the lyrics to one of her songs walking past the desolate houses Joel couldn't help but take a deep breath to hold back the lump in his throat, He then stopped dead outside his own house, An unaware Ellie walking into him

'Fuck, Joel? You OK?' She said sounding annoyed.

"Yeah kiddo... This was my house before the outbreak" He said with a clear shudder of sadness in his voice.

"I bet it was nice before the outbreak" Joel just stood stock still with a glazed look on his face looking up at what was the residence of his former happy life.

His rusted and broken truck being reclaimed by mother nature sat stuck in time on the drive way, Walking over to it he brushed away the dead and decaying weeds and foilage and peered in, His work coat and lunchbox where still sat on the passenger seat as he left them 20 years ago. He sighed bleakly.

"I take it the truck was yours Joel?" Ellie inquired,

"Yeah she was ol' faithful, got me from A to B, Come on kiddo lets go inside" he said.

As they walked upto the broken and beaten front door the timbers of the porch creaked and groaned...

pushing the door open ajar they where greeted by a completely upturned room, the couch was cushionless and the back cushions looked as if they had been violently slashed the tv was screen down on the floor the back shield had been smashed off and a carpet of dirt and paper was strewn on the floor, moving forward Joel heard glass crunching under his feet, looking down a grimy photo frame containing a Photo of Sarah in her school uniform, Her beautiful smile making his heart flutter, after he picked it up he took the photograph out of its frame and kissed it and then put it in his breast pocket,

"She was so beautiful Joel, She was a credit to you" Ellie said quietly,

Joel just mumbled something under his breath and walked around the corner into another room just across from the living room and stopped dead,

"Oh God, Jimmy!"

Ellie came running to where Joel was and was greeted by a Skeleton that was covered from head to foot in dead and flaking Fungus, A warm dry mummified smell hung in the air.

"You knew this Guy?" she asked,

"Yeah I shot him... he went to attack Me and Sarah just before we got the hell out of here, He had just turned, I remember walking outside after hearing screamin' and shoutin' and there he was in my yard going insane" he said

"Jeez that must have frightened the shit out of you Joel!" she said,

"Yeah it did but I was more worried about Sarah at the time wondering if she was bein' attacked but she was safe when I got to her". he said quietly

Joel found a sheet and began to cover Jimmy's corpse

"I hope you forgive me my old friend, Rest in Peace ol' buddy" Joel said.

He then stood up and walked towards the stairs with Ellie in close quarters as they ascended the stairs Joel collected every Photograph from the frames on the wall. Sarah and Joel at the Carnival. Sarah Joel and Tommy Hiking. and Sarah and Tommy Sitting on a couch. They where all folded neatly and then placed into his left breast pocket near to his heart. he walked into what was his own bedroom and said to Ellie,

"My Room... It's alot messier than I left it" He joked.

Walking on because there wasn't anything of interest to scavenge in there. Passing the wrecked bathroom with a damp smell wafting from it, they finally came upon Sarah's bedroom door.

"Are you sure you're ready for this Joel?" Ellie asked comforting Joel.

(I do not own The Last of Us or the characters involved)


	2. Closure

**(The Return Home) **"Joel's Closure"

Chapter 2.

By Kyle Doyle.

"I'm Sure Kiddo, I have to face my past now" he said with a quiver in his voice,

As Joel Pushed the door open a warm draught left the room as if it had not been opened in years, Taking a few steps inside, apart from the mess it had barely changed since the since the night He and Sarah had fled, Her Posters now some very faded and worn hung wonkily on the wall apart from one in particular, The 'Halican Drops' Poster was still stuck proudly in place abover her bed with only slight rips and fading. Steadying himself on the bedpost, Joel began to gaze around the room with memories flooding back to him of how he would bring Sarah some food when she was studying or when he would cuddle her when she was afraid after waking up from nightmares.

"Halican Drops?" Ellie said slowly,

"Yeah, It was Sarah's favourite band, Way too rocky for me though!" He exclaimed with a chuckle,

"Never heard of em'" Ellie said,

"They where a big band from what I can remember y'know, Sarah was always yappin' on about the drummer sayin' how good he was, If I recall his name was Kyle although I can't really remember, There where posters and billboards dotted all around when they're concerts were being played" he said

"That's what I call dedication!" she said

Looking around the room Something caught Joel's eye under a pile of torn yellowed paper a faded dinosaur's leg was visible bending down and picking it up he could see that it was a card of some sort "Congratulations" was emblazened on the card with a cartoon styled dinosaur wearing a party hat opening it carefully Joel began to read in his mind the words that were written in faded pencil.

Hearing Sarah's voice read the words in his mind brought a lump of heart ache to his throat.

_**You're not a fossil (Yet)**_

_**(Happy Birthday)**_

_**Dear Dad,**_

_**Let's see...**_  
_**You're never around, You hate the music I'm into,**_  
_**You practically despise the movies I like, and yet **_  
_**somehow you still manage to be the best dad every**_  
_**year. How do you do that?**_

_**Happy Birthday,Pops!**_

_**Love Sarah.**_

Joel began to tear up as he read the last few lines of the card, Falling to his knees clutching the worn card to his chest he finally unleashed 22 years of sadness, anger and guilt as tears ran down his face between loud heartfilled sobs he said...

"Oh baby girl! I miss you so much! God, why did you have to take her?!"

Joel's heart ached like it had never before, like someone thrusting a sword through it.

Ellie knelt down and rested her head onto his shoulder embracing him from behind and began to sob with Joel seeing him in so much emotional pain was too much for her to bear, sobbing into his shoulder she reassured him with muffled words of comfort

"Joel she is in a much better place now, She isn't in pain from bein' shot or in danger from the infected and she is watchin' over you everyday" Ellie said between sobs

"I know baby girl I know! Its just so hard! I miss her so much!" he bellowed.

Sitting back againgst the bed's footboard they both began to stop sobbing and Ellie gave Joel a reassuring and loving hug which made him calm and relaxed he finally began to stop crying and said

"I think it was good that we came here baby girl, I wanted to face the past and you wanted to see how I lived before the infection" he said quietly

"Thank you Daddy" she said with a loving tone burying her head into his chest,

Joel then looked at Ellie with a quizical look on his face which then turned into a paternal loving smile putting his arm around her and then bringing her closer to him.

"Come on kiddo I think it's time we made tracks, It's gonna be dark soon" he said looking up out of the window,

"Sure thing" she said

Getting to they're feet they then walked slowly over to the door, Joel then slowly folded the birthday card and put it into his breast pocket along with the photo's near to his heart as he finished he picked up the stuffed giraffe which was now covered with dirt and was musty, Walking back to the bed he put it onto the mattress and turned away towards the door as Ellie was walking towards the bathroom and around the corner he got to the door he turned back one more time towards the bed and whispered...

"Goodnight Baby Girl, I will always love you with all of my heart"

As the room darkened with the incoming dusk he closed the door and walked towards the bathroom and turned the corner with Ellie already downstairs checking one last time for anything they could use on the next leg of they're Journey

as he got to the top of the stairs he looked up to behold a Haunting but comforting sight.

The solid form of Sarah was stood at the far end of the stairs near to the corner adorned in a white flowing gown with a healty supernatural glow surrounding her with a warm smile, she mouthed the words

"I love you daddy"

with a loving look on her face before she slowly vanished, Joel just smiled and said

"You too baby girl"

Walking down the stairs and into the living room with a smile on his face he met Ellie,

"You Alright Joel?" she asked noticing the smile on his face.

"Just dandy baby girl, We should get going" he beamed,

"Rodger Dodger!" she exclaimed,

Walking out to the front and closing the heavily beaten and worn door behind them they walked down the overgrown path towards the sidewalk. They walked away towards the end of the street and route 71 only glancing back once over his shoulder Joel quietly said,

"Goodbye"

_**The End**_

**Joel had found closure from the terrible events before and during the outbreak and found Ellie had become closer to him than ever before after the visit to Travis County. He decided not to tell Ellie about seeing Sarah's Spirit on the stairs that night and that it would be a good idea to head back to Jackson to live in the Dam with Tommy and Maria.**

**(I thought it would be good for Sarah to make an appearance even though she had passed away and the fact that Joel had finally recieved his birthday card that she had forgot to give him. Review my story for more and let me know what you guys think! :D)**


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